I got up around 7:00 or so and hit the showers while everyone else was still sleeping in the dark. I managed to leave the campgrounds before 8:00....the gate wasn't even open yet. I had to wait for it to automatically open for me.
It had rained some through the night, but not too much. I headed north towards Johnson City where I wanted to visit Pedernales State Park. There are several boxes in this park and I'd had my eye on it for a while. After I finally got to the park and checked in, then found the trail head, it started to rain. I decided to sit in the car a while and wait it out. It rained harder for about ten minutes, then finally lightened up, then nothing. I hopped out of the car and changed my shoes, grabbed my backpack, and put on my poncho....just in case.
You guessed it....when I was about halfway down the trail it started raining again. Hmmm...it wasn't too bad, I could still letterbox in this. I marched my way down to the designated sign and found my first box, the Pedernales Possum. I got the box opened up..then I hear...BOOM! CRACK! Oh no, it's now thundering and lightning....and it's coming down HARD. I did my best to finish up and rehide, then headed back to the car. My shoes and legs almost up to my knees were soaked, but the rest of me was ok. I left my poncho on and hopped in the car. I couldn't imagine that this weather was going to fix itself any time soon, so I decided to head back into Johnson City.
At about the time I got halfway back to Johnson City, the sky cleared and the sun began to shine. I looked at the sky, then I looked around the car and I couldn't believe it. The seat was soaked, and the clues I had for that park are now mostly ruined because they got wet. I'd dropped my backpack at one point in the mud, which transferred to my shirt. I didn't think I'd be making it back to Pedernales. When I got to Johnson City, I stopped the car and took off my poncho and put it in the trunk of the car and decided to head for Fredericksburg to an indoor activity--The Circle E Candle Showroom.
I made my way to Fredericksburg and passed the LBJ State Park along the way. Since it wasn't raining at the moment, I looked at the park and said, "I'll come visit you in a little while." I arrived at the Circle E Showroom and entered into candle heaven. I think I looked at every single scent and probably smelled most of them. I bought a couple of candles and asked the cashier if they give factory tours. He said they used to do that, but because of legal reasons, they aren't doing it any more. After leaving candle heaven, I went on into Fredericksburg and ate lunch. It still wasn't raining when I finished, so I headed back toward the LBJ State Park.
As soon as I pulled into the visitor's center parking area, the rain came down again. I went inside to the center/gift shop and showed my parks pass to the cashier and waited. I walked around the gift shop a few times and took a look at the historical artifacts. After the rains FINALLY cleared up, I headed out on the trail to plant MY NEW HAT, which I'd carved the night before. The park has a wildlife exhibit with white-tail deer and longhorns. They also have a farm exhibit. I took pictures and planted my box, all the while donning my poncho. I don't think it rained the whole time I was out on this particular trail.
After finishing up here, I made my way back to Guadalupe River State Park. I stopped in Blanco because I wanted to see if I could use the library's internet access. Of course, the library there closes at noon on Tuesdays, and it was after 3:00. When I got to Highway 46, just seven miles from GRSP, I'd remembered seeing a library in the shopping center there. I stopped in there and they allowed me to use the internet. I finally made it back to camp, took a shower, and started a fire. This is when the rain started again. It rained and rained and rained. Did I mention the rain??
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